Embalmer{40 s instrument

ABSTRACT

A combination instrument for use in embalming includes first and second blades pivotally joined to form a scissors, the blades having the customary inwardly facing cooperating cutting edges. One of the blades is sharpened to have an outwardly facing, independently usable cutting edge in the nature of a scalpel blade. First and second handles are joined to the first and second blades, respectively, the first handle being provided with a curbed hook-like aneurism needle which extends away from the first blade and curves laterally outwardly away from the second handle. The second handle is provided with a vessel expander which has a tapered, conical shape and is pointed generally away from the second blade and first handle. The apparatus is thus capable of being grasped in the manner of a scissors and, without significant change in the hand position, can be used as a scalpel, for vessel withdrawing, vessel incising and vessel expanding in rapid sequential order. Additionally, the needle provides gripping means while the instrument is being used as a scalpel.

United States Patent [191 Winfrey m1. 3,840,948 1 Oct. 15, 1974 i [22] .Filed:

[ 1 EMBALMERS INSTRUMENT [76] Inventor: Lewis L. Winfrey, 335 E. Market St., Xenia, Ohio May 21, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 362,266

[52] US. Cl 27/21, 7/14.3, 30/146, 30/254 [51] Int. Cl A0ln l/00 [.58] Field of Search....... 27/21; 128/318; 30/123 A, 30/131, 194, 146, 254, 256; 7/6, 14.1 R, 14.3

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,115,104 10/1914 Prikia 30/146 1,165,226 12/1915 Cassady..... 1,176,638 3/1916 Arnold 2,374,795 5/1945 Williams.... 3,443,313 5/1969 Profy 128/318 Primary ExaminerRichard A. Gaudet Assistant ExaminerG. F. Dunne Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Roylance, Abrams, Berdo & Kaul [5 7 ABSTRACT A combination instrument for use in embalming in cludes first and second blades pivotally joined to form a scissors, the blades having the customary inwardly facing cooperating cutting edges. One of the blades is sharpened to have an outwardly facing, independently usable cutting edge in the nature of a scalpel blade.

.First and second handles are joined to the first and second blades, respectively, the first handle being provided with a curbed hook-like aneurism needle which extends away from the first blade and curves laterally outwardly away from the second handle. The second handle is provided with a vessel expander which has a tapered, conical shape and is pointed generally away from the second blade and first handle. The apparatus is thus capable of being grasped in the manner of a scissors and, without significant change in the hand position, can be used as a scalpel, for vessel withdrawing, vessel incising and vessel expanding in rapid sequential order. Additionally,'the needle provides gripping means while the instrument is being used as a scalpel.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PArmmw 1 51814 3. 840.948 SHEEI 1 BF 2 PAIEMEW I 51914 3.840.948

SHEET 2 BF 2 l 'EMBALMERS INSTRUMENT .This invention relates to a combination instrument particularly designed for use in the process of embalmmg. V

Various tools and implements have been designed for use in the process of substituting preserving fluids for the blood existing in the body of a deceased person. These tools have been in use for many years and have not been significantly modified in recent times.

There are certain problems commonly encountered by those skilled in the arts of preserving the dead, these problems being directly related to the environment and the subject matter of such an operation. Normally, the operation is conducted with the bodylying on a stainless steel or enamel table having slightly raised edges but having a smooth, hard surface. The tools customarily employed in the operation are relatively flat. and hard, and the person performing the operation generally wears surgical gloves or the like. This combination of circumstances makes it difficult to pick up a tool from the surface and this difficulty is multiplied when it is necessaryto repeatedly pick up and put down certain tools sequentially used in the embalming operation.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a single tool which is capable of performing a plurality of steps of the embalming operation,-which steps are normally performed in rapid, close sequence. A furtherobject is to provide a combinationinstrument for use in the embalming process, which instrument has a plurality of tools dispossed thereon in a manner which renders the tools collectively, more easily handled and more easily usable than singly.

A still further object is to provide a combination embalming instrument in which the combination instrumerit, once grasped, can be used for a plurality of steps in the embalming process without significant change in the position of the instrument in the hand, i.e., without significant change in the manner in which the instrument is held. 7

Briefly described, the combination instrument 'of the present invention includes first and second blade members which are pivotally joined to form a scissors, the blade members having the customary inwardly facing cooperating cutting edges. One of the blade members is sharpened to have an outwardly facing, independently usable cutting edge in the nature of a scalpel blade. First and second handle members are joined to the first and second blade members, the first handle member being provided with a curved hook-like member which extends away from the first blade member and curves laterally outwardly away from the second handle member. The second handle member is provided with a vessel expander which has a tapered shape and is pointed generally away from the second blade and first handle members. The apparatus is thus capable of being grasped in the manner of ascissors and, without significant change in the hand position, can be used for a scalpel, vessel withdrawing, vessel incising and expanding sequence in rapid order. Additionally, the needle provides gripping means while the instrument is being used as a scalpel.

In order that the manner in which the foregoing and other objects attained in accordance with the invention can be understood in detail, a particularly advantageous embodiment thereof will be described with referbe subsequently described.

ence to the'accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an instrument according to the invention; and

FIGS. 2-5 are perspective views of the instrument of FIG. 1 being used, sequentially as a scalpel, a vessel raising device, a vessel incisor and an expander.

Referring now to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the instrument includes a first blade member 10 and a second blade member 11, the blade members having inwardly facing sharpened edges 12 and 13 which are sharpened in a manner to cooperate with each other to cut in the manner of a conventional scissors. Blade members 10 and 11 are pivotally attached to each other by a pin [4. Handle members 15 and 16 are rigidly attached to blade members 10 andll, respectively, with the pivot point therebetween so that conventional scissor action can be attained. The handle members are provided with loop portions 17 and 18, also in a manner similar to conventional scissors, for receiving a thumb and finger to operate the cutting blade members.

Blade member 11 is additionally provided with a sharpened outer edge portion 20 which is in the nature of a scalpel blade and can be used in a manner similar to a scalpel blade in the embalming operation, as will tion, the curved portion being directed outwardly and away from the handle and loop 16 and 18 attached to blade 11. It will be observed that the blade members and handle members lie in substantially the same plane and that the aneurism needle similarly lies in the sameplane as the handle 15 and loop 17 to which it is attached.

A vessel expander indicated generally at 27 is con 'nectedto loop 18 by a straight interconnecting link 28 which is rigidly connected at one end to the loop and at the other end to the expander. Link 28 extends rearwardly from the loop generally away from blade 11 and handle member 16 and the expander extends rearwardly and outwardly of the handle and blade assembly.

The vessel expander comprises a tapered member having a curved cross section, a small end and a large .endand is generally in the shape of a conic segment as would be produced by a plane passing through a cone parallel with the axis of the cone. The small end of the expander is dimensioned to be insertable into the vein or artery of the body being embalmed and the concave inner surface is adapted to receive a tapered tubular member through'which fluid can'pass.

The manner in which the combination tool described thus far is employed can be seen with reference to FIGS. 2-5 wherein the hand is shown grasping the tool in FIG. 2 in the position for employing scalpel edge 20 on blade 11. As will be seen, downward pressure must beexerted on the scalpel edge in order to sever the flesh in the vicinity of a vein or artery into which, and from which, fluid is to be caused to flow. In order to obtain the necessary leverage to sever the tissue at this point, the first fingerand thumb are inserted through the loops 17 and 18 respectively, and the second, third and fourth fingers are placed against the outer surface in a plane approximately parallel to the vein or artery being sought. The needle is then rotated about the axis of its straight portion so that the bent portion passes be- .neath the vessel. The user then works the needle back the vessel through approximately one half of its diameter approximately as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The instrument is then rotated so that the expander portion 27 thereof is adjacent the incision. The tip of the expander can then be inserted into the incision, in a direction along the vessel, so as to expand the vessel, approximately as shown in FIG-5. A-tapered tube 35 is then inserted into the vessel, employing the inner concave longitudinal surface of the expander as a guide, much in the manner of a shoe horn. The expander is then withdrawn, leaving the tube in the end of the vessel.

With the tool still in the same position in the hand, the expander can be used to enlarge the portion of the vessel on the other side of the incision and a second tube can be inserted therein. The tubes, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, are of a conventional nature and usually have pet cocks fitted thereon and are connected to flexible tubing. One such tube is connected to a source of fluid which is to be passed into the vessel and the subjects body, and the other tube is used to conduct fluid from the body to a waste container.

As will be recognized, the instrument is retained in approximately the same position in the hand throughout this entire operation, eliminating the necessity for repeated attempts at picking up different instruments from a wet table with slippery gloves. Additionally, the

extended portion of the handle, as provided by the needle 22, enhances the grip of the instrument when it is used as a scalpel or scissors.

While one advantageous embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A combination instrument for use in the process ofembalming comprising 7 first and second blade members pivotally joined to form a scissors, said blademembers having inwardly facing cooperating cutting edges, one of said blade members having an outwardly facing independently usable cutting edge; first and second handle members joined to said first and second blade members; aneurism needle means attached to said first handle member for withdrawing a vessel from an incision in the body being embalmed, said needle means having a straight portion extending away from said first blade member and terminating in a curved portion curving laterally outwardly away from said second handle member; and vessel expander means attached to said second handle member for insertion into and enlargement of a vessel, said expander having a tapering substantially conical exterior shape with the smaller end thereof pointing away from said second blade and a curved interior to facilitate insertion of a tube into the vessel. 2.An instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first and second handle members each comprise a loop for receiving an operators thumb and finger, respectively, and

said vessel expander means is attached to the one of said handle members intended to receive the thumb, the handle member to which said expander means is attached also being attached to the one of .said blade members having an outwardly facing cutting edge. 3. An instrument according to claim 2 wherein said blade members, said handle members, said needle and said expander all lie in essentially the same plane. 

1. A combination instrument for use in the process of embalming comprising first and second blade members pivotally joined to form a scissors, said blade members having inwardly facing cooperating cutting edges, one of said blade members having an outwardly facing independently usable cutting edge; first and second handle members joined to said first and second blade members; aneurism needle means attached to said first handle member for withdrawing a vessel from an incision in the body being embalmed, said needle means having a straight portion extEnding away from said first blade member and terminating in a curved portion curving laterally outwardly away from said second handle member; and vessel expander means attached to said second handle member for insertion into and enlargement of a vessel, said expander having a tapering substantially conical exterior shape with the smaller end thereof pointing away from said second blade and a curved interior to facilitate insertion of a tube into the vessel.
 3. An instrument according to claim 2 wherein said blade members, said handle members, said needle and said expander all lie in essentially the same plane. 